Federal courts hear cases involving the constitutionality of a law, cases involving the laws and treaties of the U.S. ambassadors and public ministers, disputes between two or more states, admiralty law, also known as maritime law, and bankruptcy cases.
The federal judiciary operates separately from the executive and legislative branches, but often works with them as the Constitution requires. Federal laws are passed by Congress and signed by the President. The judicial branch decides the constitutionality of federal laws and resolves other disputes about federal laws. However, judges depend on our government’s executive branch to enforce court decisions.
Courts decide what really happened and what should be done about it. They decide whether a person committed a crime and what the punishment should be. They also provide a peaceful way to decide private disputes that people can’t resolve themselves. Depending on the dispute or crime, some cases end up in the federal courts and some end up in state courts. Learn more about the different types of federal courts.
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. Article III of the U.S. Constitution created the Supreme Court and authorized Congress to pass laws establishing a system of lower courts. In the federal court system’s present form, 94 district level trial courts and 13 courts of appeals sit below the Supreme Court. Learn more about the Supreme Court.
Courts of Appeals
There are 13 appellate courts that sit below the U.S. Supreme Court, and they are called the U.S. Courts of Appeals. The 94 federal judicial districts are organized into 12 regional circuits, each of which has a court of appeals. The appellate court’s task is to determine whether or not the law was applied correctly in the trial court. Appeals courts consist of three judges and do not use a jury.
A court of appeals hears challenges to district court decisions from courts located within its circuit, as well as appeals from decisions of federal administrative agencies.
In addition, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals in specialized cases, such as those involving patent laws, and cases decided by the U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
Learn more about the courts of appeals.
Bankruptcy Appellate Panels
Bankruptcy Appellate Panels (BAPs) are 3-judge panels authorized to hear appeals of bankruptcy court decisions. These panels are a unit of the federal courts of appeals, and must be established by that circuit.
Five circuits have established panels: First Circuit, Sixth Circuit, Eighth Circuit, Ninth Circuit, and Tenth Circuit.
District Courts
The nation’s 94 district or trial courts are called U.S. District Courts. District courts resolve disputes by determining the facts and applying legal principles to decide who is right.
Trial courts include the district judge who tries the case and a jury that decides the case. Magistrate judges assist district judges in preparing cases for trial. They may also conduct trials in misdemeanor cases.
There is at least one district court in each state, and the District of Columbia. Each district includes a U.S. bankruptcy court as a unit of the district court. Four territories of the United States have U.S. district courts that hear federal cases, including bankruptcy cases: Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
There are also two special trial courts. The Court of International Trade addresses cases involving international trade and customs laws. The U.S. Courtof Federal Claims deals with most claims for money damages against the U.S. government.
Bankruptcy Courts
Federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases involving personal, business, or farm bankruptcy. This means a bankruptcy case cannot be filed in state court. Through the bankruptcy process, individuals or businesses that can no longer pay their creditors may either seek a court-supervised liquidation of their assets, or they may reorganize their financial affairs and work out a plan to pay their debts.
Article I Courts
Congress created several Article I, or legislative courts, that do not have full judicial power. Judicial power is the authority to be the final decider in all questions of Constitutional law, all questions of federal law and to hear claims at the core of habeas corpus issues.Article I Courts are:
FAQs
Federal courts enjoy the sole power to interpret the law, determine the constitutionality of the law, and apply it to individual cases. The courts, like Congress, can compel the production of evidence and testimony through the use of a subpoena.
What is the structure and function of the state court system? ›
The State Court System
The Constitution and laws of each state establish the state courts. A court of last resort, often known as a Supreme Court, is usually the highest court. Some states also have an intermediate Court of Appeals. Below these appeals courts are the state trial courts.
What are three basic functions of the court system? ›
The three basic functions of the court system are norm enforcement, dispute processing, and policy making. Norm enforcing references the fact that the courts are responsible for upholding the norms set in place by society. these norms typically pertain to the values and expectations of a person's behaviors.
How do different courts work together and what is the role of each? ›
Basically, the courts of this country are divided into three layers: trial courts, where cases start; intermediate (appellate) courts, where most appeals are first heard; and. courts of last resort (usually called supreme courts), which hear further appeals and have final authority in the cases they hear.
What are the roles of local courts? ›
Local council courts exist as a subordinate court with jurisdiction within the precincts of their localities, handling children matters, family, customary land disputes, and other light civil cases.
What are the 4 purposes of the courts? ›
The four functions are (a) due process, (b) crime control, (c) rehabilitation, and (d) bureaucratic. The most obvious contrast is between the due process and crime control functions.
What is the basic structure of the US court system? ›
The federal court system has three main levels: district courts (the trial court), circuit courts which are the first level of appeal, and the Supreme Court of the United States, the final level of appeal in the federal system.
Why do judges have so much power? ›
The Constitution gives judges the power to do their jobs, but it also sets out ways to prevent them from abusing their power. This guarantees that independent courts and judges remain faithful to the rule of law.
What is the primary function of the trial courts? ›
Trial courts are any courts that hear a case first, referred to as courts of original jurisdiction. A trial court makes both findings of fact and law through a full trial expounding the evidence of the case. The findings of law may be appealed to a higher court that has the power of review.
What does the court represent? ›
As the final arbiter of the law, the Court is charged with ensuring the American people the promise of equal justice under law and, thereby, also functions as guardian and interpreter of the Constitution.
Within the federal system, there are three primary types of federal courts: 94 District Courts (trial courts), 13 Courts of Appeals (intermediate appellate courts), and the United States Supreme Court (the court of final review).
What three purposes do courts fulfill? ›
Courts serve three main purposes: dispensing justice, upholding the rule of law, and protecting individual rights.
What is the proper role of the courts? ›
Courts decide what really happened and what should be done about it. They decide whether a person committed a crime and what the punishment should be. They also provide a peaceful way to decide private disputes that people can't resolve themselves.
What are the two kinds of legal conflicts that courts deal with? ›
Civil and Criminal Cases
The law deals with two kinds of cases. Civil cases involve conflicts between people or institutions such as businesses.
In which court do most legal actions appear? ›
United States District Courts
The U.S. district courts are the trial courts of the federal court system. The district courts can hear most federal cases, including civil and criminal cases. There are 94 federal judicial districts in the United States and its territories. Each district includes a U.S. bankruptcy court.
What role do courts play in creating case law? ›
Courts follow the doctrine of precedent, or stare decisis ("let the decision stand"), to create and build upon holdings of law so as to ensure that people in like circ*mstances of fact are treated alike. Published court reports provide a permanent record of judicial opinions and provide an easily cited source.
What is the purpose of the courts quizlet? ›
The main purpose of courts in the United States is to guard the individual freedoms that all citizens have. In the courts, all persons are treated equally. Sometimes people disagree with one another, despite our system of laws. Trials can be the solution of conflicts, but the courts should be used as a last resort.
How do courts work in the US? ›
The federal court system has three main levels: district courts (the trial court), circuit courts which are the first level of appeal, and the Supreme Court of the United States, the final level of appeal in the federal system.
